The little carrot that keeps me going...

I've had this 20 year old on my caseload for the whole time I've been working with DCFS.  Yes, she's an adult, but we will keep the case open until they are 21 unless we can get them into transitional housing of some sort.  To put it nicely... she's a piece of work.  She has an explosive temper, and I think she's mildly cognitively delayed on top of that.  Well, today, her case closed as she is turning 21 on Wednesday.  I offered to drive her up to Palmdale where she was hoping to stay after her case closed.  I arrived, and there was a little bit of drama (she thought I was going to drive her all the way up there and back, and I had to explain that I am not a chauffeur, she decided to steal her caregiver's TV and sell it to a pawnshop to have money to get her nails done, etc.).  Anyway, she finally gathered her things and we started the journey up to Palmdale.  As we were driving, she told me "Thank you Miss Allana.... for everything.  You've done a lot for me.  You're a really good social worker, I can tell."  As much of a pain in the neck that this girl has been to me, I was so grateful that she was able to offer those words to me (even after I lectured her on my job description). Social workers often do a thankless job, and while many of us are happy to do the job without recognition, it is awfully nice to get it every so often.  That brightened my day.  :)